Are you surprised to learn that postcards are still in use? It is truly amazing, as revealed by a survey of 505 people by Generator Hostels, Europe’s hostel chain that around 28 percent of visitors at Generator hostels still look for postcards to send to friends and families, when traveling abroad. Julia Luker at Generator hostels sounds quite convincing, while speaking about this traditional practice of sending postcards. She said that it is truly nice to observe that young travelers are still continuing this traditional method of sending postcards to their families, in this age of mobile technology and social networking. This age old practice of sending postcards were in vogue for several decades, but with the passage of time and the advent of improved technology, the importance of postcards gradually declined.

Today, the most preferred way to contact family and friends back home is via social networking, synonymous with Facebook, with around 73% of those surveyed using it as a way to keep in touch with relatives, while traveling. Despite the increasing popularity of social networks, phoning (60%) and texting (60%) are still favored by many young travelers, as a way of communicating while abroad.

Video calls are also a popular method of communicating, while traveling and this result in the popularity of applications like Skype or Apple’s Facetime. To facilitate the travelers, a number of hostels and hotels are providing complementary internet access. According to Julia Luker at Generator hostels, their guests also use Facebook and internet to Skype their families back home.

Generator Hostel

Generator Hostel in Europe is the fastest growing hostel chain across the country. With high profile hostels located in Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Hamburg, London and Venice, Generator Hostel boasts over 4,500 beds and each year, this hotel chain attracts around 1.2 million tourists across the globe. The latest additions to the profile of this esteemed hostel chain are the hostel in Barcelona and another one in Berlin Mitte, both scheduled to unveil in 2013.

All the hostels of the Generator Hostel chain sports famous Generator bar and they also come equipped with travel desks, which serve as source of free travel information to guests and also book excursions. Other amenities offered by the hostel chain, include plush female dorms, single sex dorms, en-suite rooms, as well as bed linen and free Wi-Fi access in communal areas. The hostels are fortified with 24-hour discreet security service and the receptions welcome guests round the clock.